Rumored for years, the Apple iPad is finally here. Starting at $499, it is a major new product that will compete with notebooks and eBooks. See the full video from Apple’s presentation today.
3D Video and Nausia
The Consumer Electronics Shows (CES) just wrapped up in Las Vegas and one of the main themes was 3D video coming to home televisions. Along with this, the big movie Avatar is being shown in many locations in 3D.
While 3D adoption will grow, there are some problems such as having to wear silly glasses and the “depth of field”.
Depth of Field Problem
About 20% of the people I know who saw Avatar in 3D said that they felt nauseous or got a headache. This is primary due to a “depth of field” problem.
When you look at a close up object in the real world, you focus on it and things in the background are out of focus. You then look at something far away and then can focus on that clearly.
In 2D movies, the camera focuses on what is important and other items are out of focus, especially when there is a wide depth of field.
In 3D movies, our eyes expect to be able to look at an out-of-focus area and have it come into focus, just like in real life. But if it was shot out of focus, this is impossible. Further, the shallower the depth of field (meaning the more that the foreground and background are both in focus) the more cartoonish a video can look. This is a reason that cartoons, because they have no depth of field, work great with 3D.
An article at Shadow Locked explains How to avoid getting a 3D headache while watching Avatar. You have to look at what is in focus. See picture:
3D Does Work in Many Cases
For cartoons and sports, we do not expect to see a depth of field. And typically James Cameron shot Avatar with little depth of field. But, to the extent that depth of field is an important tool for movies, it will limit adoption of 3D movies for many people.
Harmony Remote Favorite Channel Icon Image
If you’ve got a recent harmony remote such as the Harmony One
A great place to download icons is iconharmony.com. The interface is a little strange but you can search for each channel icon image you want and select it. Once you have selected each image you want, you can download them all in one zip file. You use the logitech harmony remote software to define your favorite channels and browse files to assign the icons.
Christmas Lights
Happy holidays! Unless you hate Christmas and live next to a house blaring music like this.
WARNING: video may induce epileptic seizure.
Buying a Home Theater Projector
Why you should buy a home theater projector
Screen size. For the ultimate large screen (100+ inch) theater experience, a front projector is the only solution under $80,000. There are large LCD, Plasma, and rear-projector televisions, but none over 100 inches that can practically be purchased or fit through your door.
Why you should not buy a projector
- Lighting. Ambient light from windows and lamps immediately washes out a projector’s colors and dark details. To have a proper picture with correct colors and darks, you need to be able to completely control the light in that room, for example, by having heavy drapes on the windows. This creates a theater environment but can be impractical for casual viewing.
- Installation. Projectors need to be mounted properly and focused so that there are no distortions. A screen also needs to be installed for best picture quality.
- Maintenance. Projector bulbs need to be replaced every year or two, depending on usage and bulb life. Some projectors also need to be vacuumed for dust periodically.
- Noise. Fan noise can be loud and irritating on some models.
Researching a projector
- ProjectorReviews.com by Art Feierman. Art has by far the most in-depth reviews of home theater projectors. People in forums anxiously await his reviews and refer to him when making arguments for projectors. Manufacturers sometimes send him test units prior to producing projectors. His daughter helps with the photographs and his friend Mike helps with calibrations.
- AVS Forum’s Projector’s Under $3000 page. As with other home theater gear, AVS Forum has intelligent discussions of projectors by shoppers and owners of the equipment. They also have forums on projector screens and making your own DIY screens to save money.
- Projector Central. Not as detailed as ProjectorReviews.com, but another resource for reviews.
Some things to consider
- 1080P versus 720P resolution. Three years ago, 720P resolution was much cheaper than 1080P. But as with LCD TVs, projector manufacturers are putting all their effort into 1080P which can be purchased now for $1000.
- Brightness. Ambient light in the room can be somewhat compensated for by a brighter projector.
- Noise. If you are sitting close to the projector, you will want one that is relatively quiet, below 30db.
- Bulb replacement. Look at replacement bulb costs as well as how many hours of life you can expect for a bulb.
My current favorite
A TV is a personal choice depending on your needs, room environment, and budget. My favorite at the moment is the Epson Home Cinema 8100
- Brightness while maintaining good colors. Many other projector’s brightest mode will create much poorer colors.
- Shadow detail better than cheaper 1080P projectors.
- Quietness. 27db or less. Cheaper 1080P projectors such as the Optima HD20 and Vivitek 1800 are significantly louder. Panasonic makes quieter projectors, but they are not as bright as this Epson.
- Good warranty and long bulb life. Epson is easy to work with if you need a repair.
Runner-up
I also recommend the Mitsubishi HC3800
Where to buy
As with other electronics, there are better deals if you shop online instead of going to Best Buy. I usually start at Amazon